● Read the article below about customer services.
● For each question on the opposite page, choose the correct answer.
● Mark one letter (A, B, or C) on your Answer Sheet.
Providing Superior Customer Service You can use customer service as a powerful way to set yourself apart from your competition. It’s one of the strengths a small business has, and by emphasizing customer service, you can compete with larger companies who may offer more variety, lower prices, and other perks you can’t afford. Here are four maxims to help make sure you leverage your small business status to provide the best customer service possible.
If a customer has a problem, apologize and fix the problem. Make sure to let customers let off their grievances, even if you are tempted to interrupt and correct them. Then give them a refund, new item, or whatever will fix the problem. Debating or haggling over a refund creates ill will. Keep in mind that a complaint about your company is an opportunity to turn the situation around and create a loyal customer. Obviously, some customer requests are too outrageous to comply with. If that’s the case, do your best to offer a moderate, appealing alternative.
Ask your customers to rate your service on a regular basis. This can be done via a short questionnaire included with every product sold or mailed to key clients. Keep the questionnaire short so that it is not a burden for customers to complete. Always let customers know the purpose of the survey is to serve them better. If they fill out the survey and have no problems, it is a reminder of what good service you offer. If issues do arise, they can be addressed.
You must be flexible when it comes to your customers and clients. This means doing a project for a client in a pinch, having an early morning meeting even if you like to sleep in, and meeting on Saturday even if you usually reserve your weekends for yourself.
Flexibility can also mean getting information for your client, even though it may not be in your area of expertise, Say, for example, you’re catering a wedding and your client needs information on Irish wedding customs. It’s just as easy to make a call to your local library and fax the information to your client as it is to say ‘I don’t know anything about that.’ And making that extra effort will ultimately pay off with a very satisfied customer.
Make your customers believe they are important to you by always appearing to go the extra mile. Build a little cushion into a deadline and deliver early.
The author believes that small businesses
根据上下文的内容可知，第一段第二句中的主语“It”是指前一句中的“customer service”，而这里的“you”指代的内容是“small business”。由此可以判断小公司的优势是“customer service”。此外，此题也可根据排除法找到答案。根据第二句中的“…larger companies who may offer more variety，lower prices，…”可以判断出提供低价格是比较大的公司的优势；根据第三句中的“…make sure you leverage your small business status…”可知，小公司的地位与大公司的相比要低一些。因此可以排除B、C，A为正确选项。
What attitude does the author think a small business should take to customers’ problems?
本题可以用排除法来解答。根据第二段第三句开头的“then”这个关联词可以判断出上句描述的内容应该是首先需要做的事情，即“let off their grievances”，不要试图打断他们，也不要改正他们可能会有的一些错误说法，接着再给他们退款，或换个新的，或者用其他任何能够解决问题的做法。因此，可以排除A、B两项，C为正确选项。
The questionnaire on your service should be issued to your customers
第三段第二句的主语“This”指代的内容是第一句中的“ask your customers to rate your service”。结合这两句话就是定期地把调查问卷分发给顾客。因此正确的答案是B项。这里的“periodically”与原文中的短语“on a regular basis”同义，意思是“定期地”。
To offer a good customer service, you have to
根据倒数第三段的第二句话可以判断出A、B两项所描述的内容只是作者对“You must be flexible”进行的举例说明和补充．但并不意味着为了给顾客提供良好的服务就必须减少睡眠时间或在周六进行工作。因此正确选项为C。
If your customer need some extra service, you should
此题可以用排除法来解答。根据倒数第二段的倒数第二句可知，我们要尽可能的把相关信息传真给客户，而且我们的努力最终会得到回报，这样的回报是“a very satisfied customer”，因此可以排除A项了。C项描述的做法只是针对文中的例子而言的，而B项是全面的叙述，因此选B。
The author thinks
从倒数第二段最后一句可以判断出“你”所做的额外的努力最终能得到一位满意的顾客。因此A项所表述的内容与原文意思相符；B项在文中没有提及；C项描述的内容与倒数第二段的倒数第二句话的意思相对。所以正确选项为A。